New Bedford Oktoberfest: Beer Guide

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new-bedford-scba-oktoberfest

Not many events make their second year, let alone their tenth year, but that’s exactly what the SCBA and the New Bedford Oktoberfest has accomplish in 2015. With over $500,000 raised for at-risk youth & educational based charities along the Southcoast, Oktoberfest not only brings you incredible brews, but does incredible things for the community.

With that being said, there is one thing that can be a bit overwhelming when you step into Oktoberfest and that is what tasty beverage to pick. We decided to simplify things for you this year and create a beer guide for all the beers. We scoured the internet and pulled in all the information you’ll need to plan your beer choices for next Saturday. We know many of you, including myself, might not know what an ABV or IBU’s is, so we turned to resident beer expert Beer Advocate for the definition of ABV and About.com for the definition for IBU’s. They both explain it way better than I can in my limited knowledge of the much used beer acronyms.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV) – “Alcohol by volume (ABV) simply represents what portion of the total volume of liquid is alcohol. Our liquid of choice is, of course, beer. And to determine the ABV of a beer, a brewer typically uses what’s called a hydrometer, which is an instrument that aids in measuring the density of liquid in relation to water (it essentially free-floats in a cylinder or liquid). The hydrometer will be calibrated to read 1.000 in water (at 60°F), and the denser the liquid (example: add sugar to the liquid), the higher the hydrometer reading.

Okay, so how does this relate to beer? Well, before yeast cells are introduced to ferment beer, the liquid is called “wort (pronounced wert),” and it’s full of all kinds of sugars that were previously extracted from the grain. A brewer will take a hydrometer measurement of the wort (at 60°F) to determine what’s called the original gravity (OG). Then yeast is pitched into the wort, and fermentation begins. As the yeast cells eat the sugar in the wort, they create two wonderful by-products: carbonation (CO2) and alcohol. And once the brewer has determined that our hungry yeast have had enough (could be days, weeks or months), s/he’ll go ahead and pull another hydrometer reading (at 60°F) and record what’s called the final gravity (FG).

Notice that all measurements were taken at 60°F. That’s because the temperature of the liquid will impact the hydrometers’ measurement of the liquid, and the hydrometer was calibrated with water at 60°F. So in order to maintain controlled calculations … you get it. Otherwise you’d need to make adjustments in calculations, and we don’t want to worry about that.”

You can find the original ABV article here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/518/

International Bittering Units (IBU’s) – “This is a measure of the actual bitterness of a beer as contributed by the alpha acid from hops. Because the apparent bitterness of a beer is subjective to the taste of the drinker and the balancing malt sweetness of the beer this is not always an accurate measure of the “hoppiness” of a beer. But, generally speaking, beers with IBUs of less than 20 have little to no apparent hops presence.

Beers with IBUs from 20 to 45 are the most common and have mild to pronounced hops presence. Beers with IBUs greater than 45 are heavily hopped and can be quite bitter.”

You can find the original IBU article here: http://beer.about.com/od/glossary/g/ibudefined.htm

With those very important definitions out of the way, lets get to the beer!

Buzzards Bay Brewing

IPA

“Our American grown version of this classic ale. Using 2 caramel malts, victory malt and wheat malt along with a complex blend of hops (including: warrior, cascades, palisades, ahtanum, zythos, simcoe) and dry-hopped with several of these.”

6.1% ABV     44 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Moby D

“Inspired by the clean, crisp Altbiers of Germany, our Moby D is a year round favorite. Brewed with 3 different caramel malts and bittering hops.”

5% ABV     21 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://buzzardsbrew.com 

Narragansett Brewing Company

Narragansett-Brewing-Company
Photo by Narragansett Brewing Company

Town Beach IPA

“We brew our Town Beach IPA with Pale, Cara Pils and Wheat malts along with an assortment of three of the finest hops (Hallertau, Nugget, and EKG). It is then dry hopped with Citra at the finish to deliver a well-rounded and balanced hop profile. Crisp, clean and just the right amount of bite from our distinct blend of hops make the Town Beach IPA a thoroughly enjoyable beer that offers tremendous drinkability. Golden amber in color, with a sweet aroma this beer is perfect for late summer or early fall drinking refreshment.”

4.7% ABV     55 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Porter

“It is brewed with chinook hops for bitterness, simcoe hops for aroma, black malt, pale malt, chocolate malt, munich malt, crystal malt, roasted barley, and ale yeast. Giving it an imperial taste. ansett Porter offers an extremely approachable craft experience that, unlike many of the other porters on the market, is not overly smoky or bitter. The Narragansett Porter has a deliciously mild chocolate flavor with just a hint of smokiness and hops to balance out the finish.”

7% ABV     28 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.narragansettbeer.com/beer

Berkley Beer Company

Harvest Ale

“The perfect blend of sweet and savory is the distinctive feature of Berkley’s Harvest Ale. It’s rich, malty flavor, makes this Oktoberfest-style ale not only very drinkable, but also the ideal autumn treat.”

6% ABV     20 IBU’s

Untappd Review(s)

Golden Ale

Berkley’s Golden Ale is a drinkable, well-balanced ale that features a smooth, crisp taste paired with a slight malty finish making it gloriously golden and pleasantly refreshing.

5% ABV     15 IBU’s

Untappd Review(s)

Hog Oiler Double IPA

8% ABV

Untappd Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.berkleybeer.com

Naukabout-White-Cap-IPA
Photo by Naukabout Beer C

Naukabout Beer Company

White Cap IPA

“Whether you’re unwinding after a long day at work, tinkering in the garage on the weekends or gearing up for the big game, Naukabout IPA is the perfect brew for all those once-in-a-lifetime Naukabout moments.”

6.25% ABV     47 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Lighthouse Blonde Ale

“Lighthouse Blonde Ale is the perfect brew for playing backyard games with your friends, kicking back and relaxing on the beach with your family, or stocking up for that long weekend in the mountains. Whatever your passion, Naukabout Lighthouse Blonde Ale is a tasty year-round choice for inspiring those once-in-a-lifetime Naukabout memories.”

4.0% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.naukabout.com

Mayflower Brewing

IPA

“Mayflower IPA balances a powerful hop profile with full malt flavor to create a smooth brew with well-rounded bitterness. Four varieties of American hops lend a delightful piney flavor and fruity aroma.”

6.1% ABV     77 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Porter

“Mayflower Porter is a rich, complex brew that is smooth and full-flavored. Five varieties of malted barley provide notes of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of smokiness.”

5.2% ABV     34 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Autumn Wheat Ale

“Mayflower Autumn Wheat Ale is a dark wheat beer. Flavorful and medium-bodied, it combines the fruity aroma and bready character of traditional wheat beers with the malty richness of dark ales.”

4.8% ABV     22 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.mayflowerbrewing.com/

Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier

“Ever since 1818 we have brewed our bottom-fermented Oktoberfest Bier during Oktoberfest – Germany’s favourite Oktoberfest beer and a true institution in Munich. The glass is full of October sunshine, strong and golden. The perfect balance of a light taste of hops and a strong note of malt. A feast of a beer, which always goes down well. This beer is only brewed for the Oktoberfest. That’s where it belongs, along with all the fun of the fair like the Ferris wheel and roasted almonds.”

5.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.paulaner.com

Shipyard Pumpkinhead

“Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale is a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor.”

4.5% ABV     18 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of https://www.shipyard.com

Weihenstephan Oktoberfestbier

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Photo by Weihenstephan

“A full rich bodied, hoppy, seasonal lager. Especially brewed for the Festbier season. This beer truly represents the Bavarian way of celebrating. Deep gold color, great mouth-feel and lots of flavor.”

5.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://us.weihenstephaner.com

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

“Our version of this classic style blends hearty malts for a deep, smooth flavor with notes of caramel creating a brew that’s perfect for the season, or whatever you’re celebrating.”

5.3% ABV     16 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of https://www.samueladams.com

Jack-O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy

“Jack-O Traveler is an alluring wheat beer illuminated by the tastes of fall. He strikes a perfect balance between bright refreshment and seasonal spice. Jack is brewed with fresh pumpkin, for a delicious dark-hued, Shandy-inspired beer.”

4.4% ABV     7 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.travelerbeer.com

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

“Brewed from the finest German malt and hops, Brooklyn Oktoberfest is true to the original style, fullbodied and malty, with a bready aroma and light, brisk hop bitterness.”

5.5% ABV     25 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.brooklynbrewery.com

Wachusett Octoberfest

“Draft Magazine called it one of the Top 10 Octoberfest’s Available in North America. Using traditional Octoberfest specialty malts and hops, we’ve handcrafted an interpretation of the style that has both a balanced bitterness and a beautiful copper coloring.”

5.2% ABV     21 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.wachusettbrew.com

Cisco Brewers

Sankaty Light Lager

“A light American Golden Lager. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 126 calories this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline. It is named after the famous lighthouse that has stood on a bluff on the southeastern side of Nantucket Island since 1849.”

3.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Pumple Drumkin

6% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.ciscobrewers.com/brewery

Tröegs Hop Knife Harvest Ale

“Hop Knife Harvest Ale recognizes the meticulous, time-honored tradition of hand-harvesting hops at the peak of maturity. Our HopCyclone process creates an inward spiral of hop dispersal during fermentation, releasing a bounty of citrus, resin and tropical aromas.”

6.2% ABV     87 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.troegs.com

Photo by Foolproof
Photo by Foolproof

Foolproof Augtoberfest

“This festbier is a celebration of Foolproof’s annual Augtoberfest festival, which we host at our brewery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Augtoberfest is brewed with caramel and Munich malt as well as American hops and is fermented cool to produce a clean, refreshing flavor.”

6% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.foolproofbrewing.com

This year’s New Bedford Oktoberfest is certainly a beer drinker’s delight. However, if beer isn’t your thing, they will also have wine, sangria and cider available!

Is there a beer that you want to see at Oktoberfest and it’s NOT listed? Comment below and we’ll pass along the list to the New Bedford Oktoberfest event staff.

 

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4 comments

  1. Thanks for the post. Very helpful and the links to the Beer Advocate Reviews are great. Looking forward to Saturday.

  2. Any chance there will be gluten free beers? What’s the selection for ciders? Thanks!

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